Doo Wop II Coming To 'Duke' It Up

Gene Chandler was a young man when he wrote and recorded a song called "Duke of Earl," which hit the top of the charts in 1962.

He's been performing it ever since, dressed in a cape and using a top hat and cane.

"There was a point in my career that I got tired of singing it," says Chandler. "But then, as you grow older and you become surprised that you are still being accepted by the audiences, you don't get tired. You never knew when you were younger whether people would still love you or not."

What: Doo Wop II: Live in BirminghamWhen: Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.Where: Alys Stephens CenterTickets: Available at the box office, 975-2787, or by making a pledge to Alabama Public Television at www.aptv.org

That's really not in question anymore. Chandler is still packing houses as The Duke of Earl, and Saturday's Doo Wop II: Live in Birmingham concerts at the Alys Stephens Center should be no exception. The last Doo Wop concert sold out, coming on the heels of a popular PBS special that almost single-handedly revived the Doo Wop genre.

"The gigs were coming pretty steadily, but then came the PBS special," Chandler recalls. "They decided they would put together a bunch of the oldie acts, and it worked. What can I say?"